


SouthSide Bound

by kotacoyote



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alcohol, Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, F/M, Strong Language
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-28
Updated: 2019-01-25
Packaged: 2019-05-28 12:43:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 8
Words: 20,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15049331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kotacoyote/pseuds/kotacoyote
Summary: With her domestic life bearing down on her like the weight of the world, Betty seeks shelter in her darker tendencies. She finds herself in the thick of it when she wanders into the Southside of Riverdale where she meets a serpent by the name of Sweet Pea who seems all too eager to help her get away from home. Despite their misgivings about one another, they help each other out. They both need a distraction anyways.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> After watching season 2 of Riverdale, I developed a love for Sweet B and just had to sit down and write this. There will be more to come and feedback is always appreciated! Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy!

 

 Betty woke to blinding light streaming through her windows. She sat up slowly, met with the reflection of herself in her bedroom mirror. She looked like hell, and felt like it too. Her eyes were bloodshot and rimmed with dark circles. The previous night had been interrupted when she heard the soft pat of footsteps on the plush carpet of her room. She peeled open her eyes to see her brother Chic looming over her, a slender shadow in the darkness. She couldn't make out much of him but she'd never forget the hollow look in his eyes as he described in vivid detail how he would mutilate her if she kept prying into his life. It was all she could do not to shriek in terror when he pressed a cold blade to the middle of her throat. Tears were forming in her eyes and she grabbed handfuls of her sheets, preparing for the worst. But the blade was gone just as quick as it came and Chic straightened, a smirk playing at the edges of his mouth. Seemingly satisfied, he turned on his heels and made a slow exit. Her eyes never left him until he was out of sight and she heard the faint click of his door shutting. Betty had spent half the night frozen in fear, her eyes fixed to her door like a child in a horror movie. The other half was spent tossing and turning, the back of her hair matting from all the movement. At some point all the fear and stress must have knocked her out, because here she was, looking like a disaster.

She swung her legs over the edge of her bed. Her body protested with every movement as she got up and made her way to the door. Downstairs she found her mother and Chic at the dining room table, plates of chocolate chip pancakes in front of them. The rich smell mixed with the memories of the previous night made her feel nauseous. Chic and her mother were caught up in friendly conversation and for an instant Betty almost believed the whole incident had been a nightmare. That was, until Chic noticed her and gave her a sickeningly sweet smile, motioning for her to sit. She shook her head. 

"No thanks. I'm not that hungry. Plus, I don't like chocolate chip pancakes."

"Betty! Good morning. You don't look so good. What's up?" Her mothers look was one of serious concern. Though, as much as Betty wanted to run to her mother and tell her what had happened, she would never believe Chic had done it. She would make excuses for him or tell Betty that she was imagining things. 

"Its nothing mom, I just didn't sleep well."

"Okay. Well, there's coffee in the pot over there if you need some." Betty smiled in appreciation, making a point of avoiding Chic's unnerving stare.

"Thanks mom. I'm gonna go finish up some homework before I forget."

Her mother waved her off casually, returning to her previous conversation with Chic. Never had she felt so out of place in her own home. It was like the first time she'd ever spent the night at another person's house. Except their house was haunted. She carried herself back up the stairs and retreated into her room once more, not that anywhere in this house was safe anymore. She flung herself backwards onto her bed and pondered for a long time what to do. Chic had backed her into a corner and she was about ready to strike back. But what could she do to prove to her mom that he was more dangerous than he seemed? Suddenly, in her mind flashed what he had said to her the night before. He always became defensive when any personal questions came up and if pressed further, resorted to bawling his eyes out like a scared little child. What did he consider most personal, she wondered. 

_His room._

By now though, he would already be locked away in said room, doing god knows what. She preferred not to think about it. For now, she had to act as if everything was normal, going through the daily motions. Later, she told herself. He had to leave sometime, and she was going to be there when he did. Her eyes drifted to the window. The light wasn't so blinding now, and she could see the trees turning color in the distance. Fall was approaching, and somehow, the thought of all that change comforted her. Even if only for a second.

 

\---------

 

 From her door she heard a muffled conversation. Chic was saying his farewells to her mother as he headed off to the bijou. Betty patiently waited until all noise had ceased and she was sure her moment had come. She threw the covers off of her and set her half-done homework aside. The anticipation of her revenge was too much. She had to do this  _now._

Betty wanted answers. _Needed_ them. Chic was going to pay for what he did and she'd be rid of him once and for all. She traversed the space of hallway between their rooms in silence, glancing down the hallway to make sure her mother wasn't going to come back up the staircase. With quick precision she slipped through the door and started opening drawers one by one, first the desk, then the dresser. Nothing. Her eyes drug over his laptop, the laptop she gave to him. The anger bubbled in her chest and she wanted nothing more to smash it and watch the pieces fly. Opening it was about what she'd expected. A bright blue screen with a password lock. She tore her eyes away and moved on, edging further into the room, and then into the bathroom. Betty ran her fingers over everything sitting out on the counter and in the medicine cabinet, but found nothing of importance. Just your run of the mill bathroom supplies. She turned on her heel, scanning the room for anything else. This couldn't be all, she told herself. There had to be something. Her eyes then locked on the trashcan resting between the sink and the toilet. Bending her knees, she craned her neck over it, meticulously picking things out. Tissues, tissues, and oh look, more tissues. Just when her mission seemed hopeless, her fingers brushed something of a different texture. Like a claw machine prize, she drug out a single blonde hair. She shared a triumphant smile with herself until the skid of a shoe heel brought her back to reality with a jolt. With wide eyes, Betty immediately rose to meet the familiar features of Chic's face. He looked amused, and no doubt he was. It was a game of cat and mouse with him, and she'd just been caught.

"Betty? What are you doing in my room?" A feigned look of surprise took over his face, with only the curling of the edges of his mouth to give it away. The fingers of her free hand began digging into her palms and her expression darkened. 

"We both know you're hiding something Chic. I intend to find out what."

"I don't think so Betty. Don't forget. You dirtied your hands in all of this. You still have that man's phone. I'm not the one who called all of his contacts and went to visit his corpse. One word to mom and-"

"One word about what?" Alice cooper stood in the doorway, a basket of freshly washed clothes cradled in her arms. 

"Mom! Thank God. I came back for my badge and found Betty in my room. She's been snooping around in my stuff!" Chic's face contorted into a look of hurt, tears threatening to break the banks of his lower eyelids. Still in Betty's fingertips was the hair, dangling like a white flag. She hung her head and prepared for the worst.

"Why don't you trust me Betty? i'm your brother." He looked at Betty like a kicked puppy and she knew all was over. 

Alice was already striding across the room, having dropped the clothes hamper haphazardly by the doorway. She hauled Betty back across the hall and into her room, closing the door behind them as calmly as she could manage. Her mom was tapping her foot rhythmically, looking down at Betty with disdain. Betty wrung her hands in her lap and kept her eyes glued to the floor. 

"Well?! Explain yourself."

"Chic-" She began to speak, but then shut her mouth altogether. "I won't."

"You won't what, Betty? Why are you so hellbent on disturbing your brother? He-"

She couldn't take it anymore! Her fingernails had dug red crescents in her palms from the force of clenching her fists. Her jaw already hurt from clenching her teeth tightly together. Her feet were already moving and she was flinging her bedroom door open violently, hearing the thud of small items falling off of her dresser. All she could see was red. She couldn't breathe until she got out of the front door, and even then it was hurried and erratic. Her head swung left and right, deciding the path she would take. Pop's was too obvious. Her mother would hunt her down and bring her back home for further interrogation. And worst of all, she'd have to see Chic's face again. So her feet took her left, towards the bare trees of the woods nearby. If her mom barreled out of the front door, she didn't hear it. She couldn't focus on that now, though. All she could think of was getting far away, and fast. There was a chill in the air and she clutched the sides of her arms in an attempt to fend it off. It was freezing, but she'd take it over the utter chaos that had become her domestic life. Taking her usual, familiar path, she began to cool off. Both literally and figuratively. She let her head fall backwards and took a deep breath through her nostrils. Betty was thankful that her mom had never seen her use these trails. It was one of her few secrets from Alice Cooper and her all seeing eye. It made her feel better to walk here in the silence of winter, even without her jacket, which she'd conveniently left at home in her blind rage. Her feet took her to the edge of the pathway and she turned to walk back and find another one to follow to its dead end. Yet as she started back the way she came she noticed a small parting she'd never seemed to catch before. It could barely be counted a path, but it was cleared of shrubs and the low grass that should have been there. As ever, her curiosity nagged at her, urging her to see where it lead. And, of course, she obliged. She made her way through, tracing the narrow path with her footsteps like it was a tightrope. The trail dipped gradually and the chill dug deeper into her skin, permeating her bones. In some places there seemed to be no footpath at all and she began to get discouraged. Nevertheless, she pressed on, rubbing her arms in nervous circles. Minutes upon minutes passed with nothing but barren trees and the grey sky above her. Then, like a beacon in the distance she saw a small road leading into what looked like a series of small convenience stores. As she approached it she noted that the windows and air units of said buildings were barred off. The entire place looked dull and dingy and loudly colored graffiti covered the sides of the brick walls. Her eyes widened in realization.

"Southside." She murmured to herself.

Her mind immediately flooded with thoughts of Jughead and all the times he'd told her to stay away from the Southside. 'Especially at night' he'd said. Thankfully, it wasn't nighttime, and Jughead was nowhere in sight. In the distance, the sun was lowering though. She guessed she had about an hour before it started disappearing behind the horizon. Betty peered down at her clothes and altered her appearance by buttoning her shirt down, exposing her upper chest. She then tied it up for a cropped look and took her hair out of its signature ponytail, shaking it around. And in what would have seemed like a lapse in judgement to everyone Betty knew, She crossed the street and over into the Southside of Riverdale. She was sick of being scared, sick of being told no. She needed this, or at least she convinced herself that she did. She began treading the streets, letting her hips sway with each step. Her act procured the stares of a few strangers but instead of turning away, she met their gazes with her head held high.

She had to be free. Even if it was just this once.

 

\---------

 

The engine rumbled beneath him as he drove, the wind picking up loose pieces of his hair. He had left home, skipping the Whyte Wyrm. It's parking lot was vacant and likely would be for another hour or so. He drove on, scouring the streets for any form of entertainment to put an end to his uneventful afternoon. He'd spent most of it tapping his fingers on his knees in an off-beat fashion while listening to music through his old, beat up headphones. Once he decided he'd had about enough of that, he left his trailer to bang on the door of Toni's. No answer though. He tried Fangs's too, but to no avail. If he had to guess, Toni was probably running around with FP's kid. If it were up to him, he'd leave that sham in the dust and take the rest of the Serpents with him. It wasn't though. The thought alone made him grip the handles of his motorcycle a little more fiercely. He didn't like Jughead, plain and simple. It hadn't even been a month since Jughead's initiation and he'd already gotten serpents caught in the crossfire of his bad decisions. Sweet Pea shook the thoughts from his head. He wouldn't allow himself to get worked up over that now. Nearby was the convenience store he and Fangs frequently loitered around. He decided to stop there and see if Fogarty might have had the same idea. Great minds, right?

_Wrong._

It wasn't fangs he found, but someone he'd never seen around before. The girl had large eyes and stuck out like a sore thumb against the bleak streets of the Southside. A Northsider. Her blonde hair fell to her shoulders and the longer he looked, the more familiar she became. A small smirked played across his face. Jughead's Northside ball and chain. This day couldn't get any better. He wondered what Jughead would say if he knew Betty fucking Cooper was here, with the tops of her breasts exposed like that. He set the bike next to the curb and hopped off, sauntering in her direction.

"You lost, northsider?" He stopped just five feet from her, glowering down at her.

She looked ready to bolt when she gave him a once over. Her eyes lingered on the leather jacket and the serpent tattoo curled up on his neck. The look on her face said it all. _Oh_ , this was too good. FP's cockshiner of a son had failed to mention to his girl that he was a Serpent now? He could work with that.

"The road home is back that way." He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder.

"I know."

"I'd get to packin' if I were you. "

"I-I can't."

"Yeah? And Why's that?" It came out as more of a demand than a question. She paused, calculating her answer.

"I can... I just don't want to." He pondered that a moment.

"Why are you here? Aren't there better places for a Northsider to escape to?"

"Not where my mom won't find me." He fought back a sneer at the mention of her mom. She was always slandering the name of the Serpents, dragging them through the mud just like everyone else in the northside of Riverdale. He was sick of it. 

"Alice Cooper, right? Yeah, she's a real piece of work." He could think of a lot worse ways to describe Alice Cooper than that, but he kept them to his self, for now.

"You're telling me." He fought the urge to ask exactly why she was here. He didn't need the details. It wasn't his business.

"It's gonna get dark soon. Take my advice and get out of here before then." Armed with all the information he could ask for, he turned for his bike, pulling his jacket tighter around his shoulders. He couldn't wait to see Jughead's eyes widen when he waved  _this_ in his face. 

"Wait! You're a Serpent, right? What's your name?" He turned to meet her eyes. The look in them was like a plea for help, but Sweet Pea couldn't quite wrap his head around that. His tore his eyes away from her's.

"Sweet Pea."

"Sweet Pea." She repeated "Can you take me to the Whyte Wyrm?"

His first instinct was to say no. To tell her to go back home to her white picket fence. Glancing back at the path from which she came, he remembered the purpose. It was a trade route for Jingle Jangle, amongst other things. A rendezvous point for Northsiders looking to get their fix. But what did he care? She'd gotten herself into this mess. She could get herself out. He turned to her, ready to tell her to leave, but suddenly he was gripped by the idea of what it would be like to watch FP's kid gape and stutter when he walked into the Whyte Wyrm with none other than Betty Cooper. This was going to be a good night. He turned his back to her, motioning for her to follow him. Once he seated himself comfortably on his bike she clambered on, gripping his sides lightly for support. He sped off at breakneck speed toward the Whyte Wyrm, garnering curses from pedestrians. As her grip became tighter, he couldn't stop the grin that plastered on his face. 

This was going to be a  _very_ good night.

 

 


	2. Truth Teller

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betty learns that Jughead hasn't been telling the truth. Toni is upset with Sweet Pea for spilling the beans. And Fangs just wants to chill and play Mortal Kombat. So where does this leave them?

As they approached the glaring neon sign of the Whyte Wyrm, Betty puzzled over what it was that possessed her to come here. There was no doubt in her mind that she could have persuaded Kevin and Veronica out for a night of partying, not that it would actually take any persuasion at all. However, she'd chosen this literal den of snakes over what were probably the more reasonable options. No, she told herself. She couldn't get her closest friends mixed up in all of this. It would only complicate things further.

The violent vibration of the motorcycle's engine cut off abruptly as they pulled into the parking lot. There was a motorcycle here and there in the far corners, but for the most part it was emptier than Betty would have imagined. To hear Riverdale High's avid gossipers tell of it, the Whyte Wyrm was crawling with serpents, like a snake pit about to overflow. But, here in the parking lot there was only one.

She studied Sweet Pea for a moment, the way the strands that fell away from the rest of his hair curled just above his brow. The way his face set into a grimace. It was the same face he wore the day he and the Serpents strode into Riverdale High after their own school was shut down. Only that day it had been edged with uncertainty. The whole lot of them were apprehensive as they didn't know what to expect. Sweet Pea, though. His eyes had flicked in every direction, like he expected the whole thing to be a trap. Fortunately, Betty had fled to class before Cheryl and her Bulldog minions showed up and made his suspicions a reality.

She swung her legs over the seat of the motorcycle and got off, stretching them. She turned to him, ready to say something, anything to break the silence. But she stopped in her tracks at the look on his face. His eyebrows were furrowed in what looked like frustration. His frown was deep set and she could see in his eyes that he was buried in thought. He was struggling with something too, she could tell. She wondered what had the boy so pensive, but figured it best not to ask.

"So, are you like my tour guide?" His eyes snapped to hers, shaken out of the trance-like state he'd been in.

"Hell no. Here, if you're not a snake, you're on your own."

"Alright, guess I'll go let _myself_ in, then." She started towards the door of the Whyte Wyrm and only smirked when he trudged past her to hold the door open for her.

When she stepped through the doorway she was greeted with the heavy smell of booze and leather. The dimly lit bar was larger than she'd initially thought. There was a wooden stage in the midst of it all, on it, a single silver pole stretching from the floor to the ceiling. The tables spread out in front of the stage and the bars were lonely with the exception of a few Serpent stragglers. She guessed the emptiness was due to it still being fairly early on in the day. She stood there, taking it all in as Sweet Pea made his way in behind her.

"Pea! I was wondering when you were gonna show up!" A shorter boy with shorter black hair approached Sweet Pea, giving him a playful slap on the shoulder.

"Yeah, well, thought I'd pick up some company on the way." The other Serpent's eyes drifted over to her, taking her in. Before long, his mouth was curving into a smile and he was giving Sweet Pea a teasing wink.

"I didn't realize you had it in you, Pea." The boy said, crossing his arms over each other, "Damn! That means I owe Toni five bucks!" The taller boy shifted uncomfortably.

"Its not like that. Wait, you and Toni made a bet about me?"

"Yeah. We were drunk when we made it. She bet that you'd eventually bring a girl here. I told her there was no way in hell that would happen. Looks like I was wrong about you for once."

"Its not like that, Fangs."

"Then what _is_ it like?" Fangs quirked a brow at him. Betty stepped closer.

"I got lost when I took a wrong turn in the woods. He was kind enough to get me off the streets before it got too dark." Sweet Pea eyed her, silently thanking her for coming to his defense. He gestured towards her with one hand, giving Fangs the 'I told you so' stare. Fangs held his hands up in surrender.

"Alright, alright. You could have just taken her back home though." Sweet Pea shot him a malicious glare.

"I'm just saying!" Sweet Pea chose to ignore him for now, scanning the room for a certain Serpent with fading pink hair. He found her behind the bar, scrubbing away at empty glasses to ensure their cleanliness.

She was nothing if not thorough when it came to bar-tending at the Wyrm. She mostly picked up night shifts and weekends due to school. She was good at it, though. Everything was always tidy at the bar, even if it wasn't everywhere else. All the glasses and bottles had their place and the trash was always taken out by the end of the night. He guessed that was why FP had let her do it in the first place, despite her being so young. He started in her direction, motioning for Betty and Fangs to follow him.

"Hey Smalls, How goes the night shift?" She looked up at him, boredom apparent in her expression.

"Slow. Agonizingly slow."

"Sorry to hear that. But look, I brought you a friend. You know Betty, right?" She looked at Betty like she'd briefly seen a ghost. What was that about?

"Oh, Betty. Hey. What are you doing here? I don't think Jughead would approve if he knew you were in here."

"Probably not." Betty was not in the mood to be told that she didn't belong here and judging by the short silence they shared, Toni had taken the hint.

"Well, between us, I don't think us serpents are all that bad." She shot Betty a wink and leaned on the bar with one arm overlapping the other. Betty giggled softly.

"No. I don't think so either."

"Speaking of which, where is he?" Sweet pea questioned, eyes darting around the Wyrm.

"At the red and black. He said he had a new idea for the paper." For a moment the tall boy looked disappointed, but it was gone as quick as it came.

"So, How are you guys enjoying Riverdale High so far" Betty interjected.

They all engaged in what could be considered small talk for a while. Laughing, making jokes, and talking about the Serpent's recent transition into Riverdale High. They all seemed genuinely grateful for the opportunity to go there. Even being told to take off their jackets when at the school didn't seem to bother them. They were just thankful for the chance at something better. It was refreshing. The Northside of Riverdale had painted these people like monsters in a fairy-tale Betty's entire life. It was nice to see that wasn't the case at all. They were teenagers, people, just like her. All they wanted was a fair shot.

Unbeknownst to Betty, Toni and the two boys shared glances. Sending messages to one another silently as they spoke aloud about current events in the town.

"Hey Betty, come check this out. We got Mortal Kombat!" Fangs chimed. She got up and went over, eyes raking over the arcade machine.

"Play me?"

"You're on."

 

\---------

 

Betty and Fangs stood side by side, punching away at the buttons and maneuvering the joysticks to their heart's content. Judging by the look on his face, Fangs had lost the first round. It progressed to best two out of three and so on.

He took that as his cue to slide onto one of the bar stools. Toni's back was to him, and he could see how tense she was. He twiddled his thumbs and bit his lip, waiting for Toni to chew him out. Short Stack was fond of Jughead, he knew that. So it was no surprise when she wasn't exactly thrilled to see him show up with Jughead's girl. Despite her stature, Toni could be a force of nature and Sweet Pea hated being the subject of her anger. But tonight, he was ready for it.

"So what, pray tell, are you doing here with Betty Cooper?" She spun on her heels, leaning over the bar like she was an investigator interrogating a suspect.

"She got lost."

"Oh. So "Mr. I don't give a shit about Northsiders" just helped her out of the kindness of his heart?" Her words were like venom and she bit deep. He stayed silent, avoiding her eyes. She set the glass she was polishing on the counter and ran her hands through her hair.

"What is with you, Sweet Pea? Do you want to start a fight with Jughead?!" She struggled to keep her voice down as she unloaded on him. He gave her a defiant look.

"Why not? Don't you think she deserves to know he's a Serpent now?"

"That is between her and him. Its not up to us." Not anymore, he thought. Like hell he was going to let that beanie-wearing punk get away with everything he'd done.

"Well, you can keep quiet about it and keep playing nice with him. But, I'm through." She shook her head at him, scaling the bar and chasing after him when he turned and walked away in the direction of the blonde girl in question.

"Stop Sweet Pea! Its not our business!"

"It is now!" He roared. Suddenly, all eyes were on him and Toni. Including Fangs and Betty, who both wore equal amounts of shock. Toni stopped, looking like she'd just been slapped.

"What the hell is going on, you two?" Fangs questioned, leaving his game to instead look at his two friends like they lost their damn minds.

"What's going on is that Jughead isn't fit to be a Serpent. How is he supposed to be one of us when he can't even tell his own girlfriend!" He jerked a hand in her direction, watching her jaw drop and her eyes steadily well up with tears when she realized what he said. It was like a punch to the gut.

"He...what?" Her eyes dropped to the floor, searching it for any sort of explanation.

"My point exactly. He refused us from day one. What makes you think that's going to change?"

They all stood in silence for what seemed like an eternity. And sure, it felt like hell, but the truth always did. Sweet Pea wasn't one for beating around the bush. He couldn't lie and avoid the truth like all the others. It just wasn't in him. And as good as it felt to have the weight of his anger off of his shoulders, when he looked at Betty, he couldn't feel worse. He felt sorry for her. Maybe it wasn't his place to tell her. But, she deserved to know. They all deserved to know what kind of person they were letting into their ranks.

"I..." Betty met his dark eyes with her own bright ones, forcing back tears "Thank you, Sweet Pea."

He searched her face for a moment. Absorbing the hurt, the rage, all of it. It reminded him of himself. He'd seen the same look on his own face a million times before. Perhaps that was why he'd said yes instead of no when she asked him to come here.

"Yeah." He murmured "Anytime."

"I think I'd better get home" She grabbed her phone from a nearby table and shoved it into her pocket.

"I'll take you." He'd half expected her to refuse the ride. But she fell in beside him without a word as they made a swift and hushed exit. His friend's eyes bore into their backs and he knew he'd get an unpleasant phone call from Toni later. But that's what silent mode was for.

 

\---------

 

It was darker out now and the sky hung heavy with hues of blue and black. They made their way wordlessly to his motorcycle. The glint of the silver detailing shone bright in what little light the street lamps provided. He sat himself on the bike and shifted into place and she climbed on right after him. He resisted the urge to flinch when her arms snaked around him and she rested her head on his back. She let out an exhausted sigh that was dripping with dejection and awaited the familiar rumble of the engine. As if an answer to a prayer, he revved the engine and let her point her way home. She kept her cheek glued to his back, effectively shielding herself from the chill of the wind. Although her grip remained tight around him, he felt some of her previous tension leave her body. He allowed himself a small smile at that.

When they arrived at her house, she held her hand up for him to stop. He parked by the curb and let her off on the vibrant grass that encompassed her house, a stark contrast to the dead, yellow grass that surrounded Sunnyside Trailer Park. She patted her clothes into place and buttoned her shirt back up. Then she took the lone hair-tie around her wrist and put her hair up. This was the Betty Cooper he'd caught glimpses of around school. She was usually caught up in conversation with Keller's kid. He decided he preferred her with her hair down. She seemed more comfortable that way.

"Thanks for the ride home. Goodnight, Sweet Pea" It was barely above a whisper and she began making her way towards her front door, but he reached out a hand and grasped her shoulder before she could.

"Wait up." He pulled out his phone and she looked at him quizzically. He scrolled to add new contact and handed the phone to her.

"Here. In case you ever get lost again. Or just need to get away from your mom." She took the phone and put in her number, then handed it back to him, gently placing it into his hand. Reaching into her pocket, she returned the favor, letting him place his own number in her phone. His eyes lingered on hers as he handed her phone back to her. She offered him a small smile as she pocketed it and turned for her house.

"Goodnight Cooper!" He shouted just before the door closed behind her. He looked back at his phone. In perfect black letters was her name 'Betty Cooper'. Next to it was a winky face emoji and for what seemed like the first time in forever, he let a big, giddy smile spread across his face. He tucked the phone back into his pocket with all the care in the world and raced home, ignoring Toni's phone call when he arrived.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the Sweet Pea and Betty interaction in this one. Let me know what you guys think! Thank you for reading. ❤


	3. Safe Space

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betty discovers Jughead's lie when her and Veronica attempt to track the Sugar Man. After Jughead makes a deal with the Ghoulies, he calls her for help. But she agrees not for Jughead, but another dark-haired Serpent.

That night Betty was hounded by her mother at the door. They argued for what seemed like hours about Chic, about Betty's behavior, and about how worried her mother was. She knew it was unfair to say that her mother was cruel or cold. She cared, in her own authoritarian way. She knew her mother just wanted the best for her daughter. And as for Chic, she really couldn't blame her mom for protecting him. With the loss of Betty's dad and Polly, her mother was grasping for straws and trying her damnest to hold on to what little family she had left. That didn't mean that Betty was going to accept Chic. It only meant that, for the time being, she'd make her peace with him. Then, when the timing was right, she'd bring him down.

Betty spent the remainder of the weekend avoiding home by arranging outings with her friends. She even went as far as volunteering for trash cleanup with Ronnie and a handful of others from Riverdale High. It wasn't just an outing, however. She and Ronnie had teamed up when they learned of the Sugar Man. They had information that Reggie Mantle had contacts that might lead to the dealer himself. This was the most innocent and unsuspecting way the two could come up with to corner Mantle and get him to give up his contacts. She allowed Veronica to do the honors, seeing as she was more skilled in the art of "persuasion".

Later that day, they set up a meeting with a Ghoulie on the Southside of Riverdale. Betty pretended to not recognize portions of the grafitti and the store at which Veronica had set up the drug deal. Ronnie worked her magic, scoring jingle jangle whilst questioning the guy about the Sugar Man. Just as they suspected, he cracked under the pressure and made a run for it. The two of them tracked him all the way back to a Ghoulie hideout. What they hadn't accounted for was that there would be security at the front door. When they accosted the two rough looking sentries, they were seized, and hauled in by the one they'd been following. The two taller guards closed in on them, to ensure they didn't escape. The two girls shared looks of alarm as they were shoved through the door marked with a ghoulie skull, peering down at them like some dark omen.

"They were following me! They tried to get in the garage." A pair of rough hands shoved the two into the dark room. It smelled of chemicals and smoke.

Betty spied a man with short curls that hung on either sides of his face. A robe patterned with skulls draped lazily over his shoulders. Directly in front of him was none other than Jughead Jones and Archie Andrews, turning to look at the two of them with disbelief.

"Veronica?" Archies eyebrows twisted in a look of concern. Jughead's followed.

"Betty?"

"Archie?!" Veronica's eyes squinted incredulously.

"Jughead." It wasn't even a question. She already knew Jughead was here on Serpent business. Here he was, a Serpent jacket slung over his shoulders, just like Sweet Pea said. She contorted her face into a mock look of surprise. She'd let him explain this to her on his own terms. Would he ever?

"What are you doing here?!" They all said in unision.

"Wait, so these are your bitches?" The man with the curly brown hair pointed to Betty and Veronica in an accusing manner, the dim light glinting off of the studded cuff wrapped around his wrist. Ronnie crossed her arms and furrowed her brows.

"I beg your misogynistic pardon." The man nodded, obviously fed up with the entire situation.

 

"Why don't you take your skanks and get the hell out of here." He gestured to the door. Jughead's head hung lower and he closed his eyes in frustration.

"Until you make me a better offer, there'll be no race." Race? What was this, Grease?

"If you win", Jughead started, edging closer to the man, "We'll give you the Whyte Wyrm. You can expand your drug-dealing horizons, and upgrade out of this literal hellhole." He gestured to their surroundings. The place was dark, filthy, and smelled like a bad day in chemistry.

"We'll take the Wyrm, and Sunnyside Trailer Park." Betty and Veronica turned to one another, sharing equal amounts of concern. If this race was lost, a lot of Serpents and other Southsiders were going to lose their homes. This was more serious than either of them had initially anticipated. Betty had a feeling Sweet Pea would be less than happy with this arrangement. Jughead didn't balk, however, he simply gave the head Ghoulie a nod.

As soon as they were far enough away from the Ghoulie den Betty and Veronica suffered a lecture from the two boys about being in such a dangerous place. Veronica was having none of it, telling Archie that he shouldn't have been there either. Betty remained silent. Jughead was visibly upset and she couldn't be bothered to try and fix it. He lied to her. So instead of talking, when Veronica and Archie's argument had finally died down, they all parted ways.

Veronica and her were walking along in silence for a while, until the raven-haired girl brought it up.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Why do you ask?"

"I mean. We did just find out Jughead is a Southside Serpent. You told me he said he wouldn't join them."

"He lied. Besides, I already knew. I'm fine. I promise." Veronica gave her a smile, rubbing her arm lightly in a supportive fashion.

 

"Do you wanna go to Pop's? Or maybe have a sleepover? Its been a long day."

"Actually, I've got some math homework to catch up on. But if you're free tomorrow after school we can get milkshakes."

"Sounds like a plan." Veronica made her way to her car and Betty to her own. Betty lingered, pulling out her phone.

Betty: You were right about Jughead. I just found out he joined the Serpents.

She hardly waited a minute before a reply came, her phone buzzing incesently in her palms.

Sweet Pea: Yeah. Tall Boy said they ran into you while he was starting a drag race with the Ghoulies? What the hell?

Betty: I don't know. But it seemed serious.

Sweet Pea: I'll say. He put Sunnyside, our HOME, up for grabs.

Betty bit her lip as she typed out a reply. Well, a question, really. She glanced at the convienence store behind her, remembering the events of a couple of days ago.

Betty: Meet me at the convenience store?

Sweet Pea: Trouble in northside paradise?

Betty: Something like that.

Sweet Pea: Gotta wrap things up here. Be there in 10.

 

\---------

 

Sweet Pea had stopped arguing half an hour ago. There was no use. The stage was set for the race. The ghoulies had already agreed and as far as he was concerned, there was only one thing left to do. Give those Hannibal wannabes hell. He wasn't happy about the terms, but they were in this. If Jughead didn't win, he'd lose his shit, but for now he resolved to begrudgingly supporting him.

Sweet Pea's phone buzzed obnoxiously and the yelling died for a split second as they all eyed him. He picked it up. Betty. She explained how she'd caught Jughead in the middle of the Ghoulie deal not long ago and asked him to meet her. Without hesitation, he slung his jacket over his shoulders. He barely waved goodbye as he made his way towards the door, figuring no one would notice.

"Where are you going, Sweet Pea?" It was a familiar, trying voice.

"Out. I'm a big boy. I can take care of myself." He could tell Jughead didn't appreciate the comment, but he made no objections. He only gave Sweet Pea a suspicious look.

"Look, If you can stick it to those assclown Ghoulies, I support you. Now if you're happy, I have somewhere to be."  
He didn't wait for Jughead's reaction. He just left, hopping onto his bike and making his way to the convenience store. As he pulled up, his eyes scanned the area for her. He found her leaning lazily against an old red truck, running her fingers through the ends of her ponytail. He stepped off, approaching her, the memories of the other day flooding back to him.

"So, come here often?" He teased. She met his eyes, pressing her lips together in a smile.

"Thanks for meeting me."

"Not a problem. So, you figured out Jughead Jones's big secret." Sweet pea made exaggerated air quotes around the word secret.

"Yeah. I just hope he bought my surprised act."

"I'm sure he did. He's pretty oblivious. So, did you two kiss and make up?" It was meant as a stupid joke , but as Betty's smile dropped, it didn't seem so funny anymore.

"Actually, he and I haven't been on good terms for a while."

"Oh." He felt like an idiot. And he had no saving throws when it came to touchy subjects such as this. He racked his brain for something to say, or do. He started to reach out to her, but thought better of it, letting his hand swing back to his side.

"He's an idiot." Was all he could manage.  
When he met Betty's eyes he remembered the last time he'd been genuinely sad. He'd stormed out of his trailer, leaving the door wide open. He came to regret that later when ants were trailing into his house, carrying any crumbs they could get their hands on. He'd fled to the quarry anyways, though. He guessed he considered it a safespace. It was in the middle of a wooded area behind the trailer park. He and other Serpents frequented the location, but there were times when Sweet Pea would go alone.

"Hey, can I show you something?" She gave him a funny look and he had to stifle a laugh.

"I promise its not dangerous or... whatever you're thinking." She thought a moment then began to nod.

"Sure."

"Alright. You can drop your truck off at home and we can go on my bike."

 

\---------

 

Dense greenery surrounded them as they made their way into the woods beside Sunnyside. Betty wondered if this was where young Serpents ran off to play together. She remembered when she and Polly would beg to go play in the woods with Archie and the other neighborhood kids. They never got to though. Her mother was always paranoid they'd get hurt or kidnapped, even if another parent was present.

They approached a small clearing. In it were seats surrounding a metal barrel. The seats looked worn from rain and other natural forces and the barrel was more rust than anything, a stark contrast to the green woodland around them. Behind it all was a stone wall with a vibrantly colored reptilian eye painted over it. Betty got the feeling she wasn't meant to be here as she got off of the bike and studied her surroundings further.

"I come here with Toni and Fangs a lot." He was observing her face, anticipating her reaction.

"Who painted this?" Betty ran her fingers over the stone wall, feeling every dip and crevice.

"It was a group effort. Who knew us Serpents were so talented, right?"

"Its beautiful."

"Thanks. Its a little piece of home for us, I guess. We don't have any parks on this side of town, so this is where we come."

She made her way to one of the seats, sitting on the far right and looking up into the sky. Sweet Pea took a seat next to her. The wind kicked up and sent a chill through them both. She shivered and held the sides of her arms with her hands. Soon, a mass of leather was dangling in front of her face.

"Put it on."

"Oh, no, I'm oka-"

"Just put the damn jacket on before I change my mind." His gaze was effectively out of her reach, trained on the woods in front of them. Reluctantly she grabbed it and slid into the oversized arms with ease. There was no doubt in her mind that it looked more like a blanket on her than a jacket, but there was something soothing about it.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it. So, what the hell were you doing at a Ghoulie hideout?" He tried to ask casually, but couldn't stop how his brows knit together.

"Me and a friend were trying to catch someone they call the Sugar Man. Supposedly he's a dealer with a lot of connections in Riverdale. If we can eliminate him, we can eliminate Jingle Jangle." Out of Sweet Pea's mouth came a noise of disgust.

"I'm all for that. When we were still going to Southside High that shit was everywhere. It made people act like animals. So, the Ghoulies are in with the Sugar Man?"

"That was the thought. We never figured out, though, since Jughead and Archie were there when we showed up. Well... when we were caught, that is." The tall serpent let out a breathy chuckle.

"Sheesh. You really ought to be more careful, ya' know? Bring back up next time." She quirked a brow.

"Back up? Like you?"

"Yeah, why not?" He shifted closer, his body leaning more towards hers as they relaxed into the conversation.

"Don't you think another Serpent would have made things worse?"

"Not if that Serpent has a switchblade and brass knuckles." She giggled, instinctively leaning in closer as she did.

"Fair enough."

They were both out of words just then. Betty could smell the leather around her as she locked eyes with Sweet Pea. His eyes never left hers, until they did. They roamed her face, lingering on her lips. Before she could think better of it, she was closing the gap between them, her lips connecting with his. And as soon as they did, he was kissing back, his hands cupping her cheeks firmly. As she pulled away, she thought that was it, until he pulled her back for another and another. He was a few kisses in when her phone rang, vibrating in her pocket. She pulled away at the sound, looking up at him, her breathing labored.

"Sorry."

"Its okay." He said, breathless.

She pulled her phone from her pocket. It was Jughead.

"I-Its Jughead."

"That asshole really has poor timing" Sweet Pea growled. Betty picked up, doing her best to still her breathing and motioning for Sweet Pea to stay silent.

"Hey Betty." She hated the way he did that. The way he acted as if nothing had happened. Betty was a problem-solver and became frustrated when other people would rather sweep problems under the rug. She'd never tell him that, though.

"Hey Jughead."

"I hate to ask this, but I need a favor. That race is in a few days and if we're going to win, I need a car that's in tip top shape. You're the only person I know in Riverdale that doesn't charge an arm and a leg for car repairs."

There was a pause. Betty would be lying if she said she didn't consider hanging up on him, or refusing to help. But, when she looked over at the dark-haired boy next to her, she decided otherwise. She would help if it meant the Serpents got to keep their home and their hangout. It was selfish to let her own hurt get in the way of other people's happiness. Sweet Pea had helped her. She would consider this returning the favor.

"I'll do it."

"You will? Thanks Betty."

"Yeah. Stay safe, Jug."

"You too." He hung up.

She let out a long sigh as she pocketed her phone. She pinched the bridge of her nose. Maybe this would allow her to mend things with Jughead as well. After the Blackhood ordered her to break up with him, he had avoided her like the plague and she couldn't say that she blamed him. She wasn't sure when she'd ever get the chance to say sorry again.

"What did he want?" Sweet Pea didn't look happy.

"He wants me to get the car ready for the race."

"And you agreed?!"

"Yeah. I know he lied to me, but maybe this is a chance to put all that behind us. Besides, you'll be there, right?" The corner of the boy's mouth curled up ever so slightly at that.

"Yeah. I'll be there."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sweet Pea and Betty are nothing if not people of action. ;)


	4. Snake Chaser

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betty makes a mistake when she apologizes to Jughead. Sweet Pea is struggling with what he's seen. Can they make it right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter hurt my feelings when writing it. But, there is hope on the horizon! I hope you enjoy this chapter. Feedback is always welcome. :)

Betty couldn't remember much from the race except for the sounds, aside from the sly glances she and Sweet Pea stole at one another. She remembered the skid of car tires, clapping, and cheers from enthusiastic onlookers from both sides. But most importantly, she remembered the sounds of those words coming out of her mouth, like a waterfall of regret. She didn't know how to stop them. None of them were lies, though. She still cared for Jughead, still loved him, despite everything. Before the race, before he got into the car that she'd oiled and fixed up, she'd told him as much.

"Before you get into the car, I need you to know." He looked everywhere but her, clearly not in the mood for whatever apology she had.

"I never stopped loving you, Jug. I'm not sure I can." As soon as the words were out she changed the subject, in hopes of deflecting as much attention from them as she could. She hadn't meant to say them, even if they were the truth.

"Also remember, don't ride the clutch, and don't let it slip between gear shifts, okay?"

"You're an enigma, Cooper." And with that, he was opening the car door and getting in, hand gripping the steering wheel in anticipation.

Then she remembered both Jughead and Archie pulling up as someone shouted that the cops were rounding up Ghoulies. She had stood next to Veronica, listening to the boys argue. When the fighting was done she looked around. Sweet Pea was gone and she made a swift exit with Jughead, who took her straight home without so much as a word.

Later that evening, after all the chaos had subsided, Betty paid Jughead a visit with the full intention of keeping it short and sweet. But, it was always like this. Her feet were moving before her head. She stepped inside the trailer and came clean about the Black Hood and how he'd forced her into breaking up with him. She ended up staying for hours afterward, reading a book while he typed away on his laptop, no doubt buried in some new story or article. She didn't ask much, she only reveled in things sort of going back to the way they were. In the chaos of her life it was nice to have this bit of familiarity. She let a small smile form on her lips as she lost her place in her book. In all this craziness, she had her calm.

 

\---------

 

He could lie to himself and say that he hadn't seen this coming. He could convince himself that he hadn't heard what he did at the race that day. But what he couldn't ignore was what he had seen later that night. It was about nine o'clock when he'd stepped outside of his trailer to hang with Toni and Fangs. But halfway down the steps, he caught blonde hair down the road, at another trailer. Jughead's trailer.

She rapped softly on the door and in a matter of seconds it opened. She was ushered in by a pajama clad Jughead, who she smiled at faintly. Sweet Pea felt his heart drop in his chest and he found himself attempting to make excuses for her, telling himself it couldn't be what it looked like. But, why else did a girl visit a boy alone this late at night?

His excuses subsided and he mentally kicked himself. He knew from the start that he shouldn't have let it get this far. Northsiders were never loyal for long. He shouldn't have taken her to the quarry, shouldn't have given her his jacket, which he had pulled around his shoulders this very moment. The smell of her on it was now making him sick to his stomach. He should have regretted the kiss as well, but he didn't. It was the first nice thing he'd had with another person since joining the Serpents.

Unable to contain himself, he booted an empty beer bottle into the side of the trailer, a hard frown forming when it didn't shatter as he'd hoped. A line of tears formed at his eyelids and his hands balled into fists. He wouldn't cry, he told himself, at least not out here. He didn't bother texting Fangs, he simply made his way back up the steps, slamming the trailer door behind himself. He opened his blinds several times throughout the night, only to see her red truck still there, glimmering with rainwater. The night ended with a wet pillow case and a quiet rain that finally lulled him to sleep.

 

\---------

 

Monday rolled around and everyone in Riverdale seemed to be grateful to be at school. It was a safe space for everyone who was nervous with the ever-looming presence of The Black Hood. They were all scared and taking solace in the fact that at least they could come here to shake off the thoughts of a serial killer pervading their home town. Betty was no different.

She was at her locker, putting away books she no longer needed. Closing it, she made her way to the student lounge, patting herself on the back for arriving early. Lately it had been crowded, everyone vying for a chance to relax on the sofas and socialize with their selected groups.

When she entered, she was made painfully aware that she wasn't alone. In the far right corner of the room, there was Sweet Pea, sitting in one of the wooden chairs. It was a couple of feet away from the desk that it went to, and he had his neck craned backward, staring up at the cieling and pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Hey Sweet Pea." He jolted upright and locked eyes with her for a moment, an odd expression taking over them.

His eyes were red and puffy and it almost looked like he'd been crying. There were dark circles underneath them and his exhaustion was apparent. He splayed his arms on the smooth surface of the table and pointedly looked away from her. She could see his jaw clench forcefully and the muscle underneath his tattoo bulged outward, seemingly making it slither, as a serpent would.

"Did you come to gloat?" She shot him a dumbfounded look.

"Gloat? About what?" Something was wrong.

"About your successful backslide into the arms of your Lovecraftian prince." Her eyes widened. _Oh no_.

"Nothing happened Sweet Pea. I went to explain some things to him."

"You were there for **HOURS** , Betty! I know, I checked. And each time I did, you know what I saw? Your red fucking truck." He was standing now, having slammed his fists into the table, the sound reverberating throughout the room. His eyes were full of exasperation and pain.

"I know. And nothing happened. I read a book, he wrote a story. That's it. I never meant for it to look like that."

"Well maybe you should think about that next time you decide to kiss someone and then go running back to your ex." The words cut deep, and he was gathering his back pack from off the floor, slinging it over his shoulder.

"Sweet Pe-"

"Have a nice day, Cooper." And then he was gone.

Betty took a seat on the nearest couch, tugging at her hair. Sure, she'd never win the award for best person on earth, but she'd really done it this time. She beat herself up over it until her usual group entered the lounge. Then she put on a brave face, as she always did, and pretended nothing had happened.

 

\---------

 

Later that week, by some miracle, FP Jones was released from jail. When she asked how, Jughead wrote it off as being the result of overcrowding. But who cared? FP was finally getting out. Betty was glad for Jughead. She knew just how much this meant to him. It meant something to her as well. FP could watch over Jughead now that he was out. Betty hadn't been able to count the hours she'd spent worrying that he might put himself in danger. FP could take over once again and, in doing so, would rid her of some of the weight on her shoulders.

At least, that was the plan, until he announced that he was done with the Serpents. Jughead hadn't seemed any happier about the news than she was, but he did respect it. And one afternoon, after a particularly nasty moment involving Cheryl humiliating FP while he was working his shift at Pop's, Betty had an idea.

She was going to throw a retirement party for FP Jones, to commemorate his time with the Serpents. To honor him. They would hold it at the Whyte Wyrm.

 _Whyte Wyrm_. She suddenly recalled a tall boy with dark hair and a serpent tattoo on his neck. A nagging guilt had been at the back of her mind the whole week. She'd attempted, on many occasions, to confront him. But, ever since their altercation, He avoided her like the plague, even going as far as skipping the one class they had together. Once it even looked as if he was running from her.

On Friday, Toni paid them a visit in the student lounge and mentioned that Sweet Pea had been "more of an ass" than usual and even asked Jughead if he'd done anything to upset the other boy. But, Jughead hadn't talked to him either. Had it really upset him that much, she wondered. She figured he had seen her as nothing more than a pretty face or a distraction from all the craziness in Riverdale as of late. Was it more than that?

She was snapped out of her thoughts by a phone call from Pop Tate, confirming an order for the night of FP's retirement. As she put the phone down, her eyes roamed over to her closet, in which hung a black lacy garment, fit for a serpent.

 

\---------

 

Earlier that day, she paid a visit to Toni at the Whyte Wyrm, where the pink haired girl was wiping down the counters vigorously. She questioned the girl about getting a karaoke machine set up as she scanned the room for any signs of Sweet Pea. No dice, though.

"For FP's retirement? Sure, why not." The other girl grinned at the idea of a karaoke machine in the middle of the Whyte Wyrm. She was sure there would be many stories to tell by the end of the night. Betty moved in.

"Also, Toni, one of the reasons I wanted to talk to you, beyond the party-planning, is..." She paused, searching for the right words.

"I've been walking the razor's edge since Jughead joined the Serpents and all I've been thinking is... you know, as soon as FP gets home everything will be better because he'll be there to protect Jughead and make sure he doesn't get hurt." The pink-haired girl eyed her, attempting to figure out just what she was getting at.

"Yeah. I'm following you. I mean, with FP out of the picture..." The girl started.

"But that's my whole point. I do worry. So, I wanna keep an eye on Jughead, myself."

"Make sure that as deep into these snake-infested waters as he goes, he doesn't do something that... you know, puts him in danger." Her eyebrows raised anxiously as she waited for the shorter girl to answer. The girl smirked then, one eyebrow raised.

"So, what? You want to be a Serpent?" Toni didn't look like she was taking this seriously. But, Betty pressed further, lightening her tone.

"Let's say Serpent-adjacent. But, yeah, part of his world, this world." This was as close of a reasonable explanation as she could give for her intentions here. It had started out as something light-hearted that she was doing for Jughead. But, after her fight with Sweet Pea, she had other ideas. If she could get him here, among his people, maybe she could make him understand. Maybe he wouldn't run.

A sharp laugh sounded behind them.

"Shut it, Byrdie." Toni called, annoyance crossing her face. The voice came from an older lady with blonde hair and a leather vest behind them. She tossed a look over her shoulder, grinning all the while.

"Sorry, Sweet Valley High, if you wanna join the club, you gotta do the dance...Serpent dance." Betty's attention immediately went to a scantily clad, dark-haired woman, working her way around the pole that was situated onstage. She had a pretty good idea of what that meant, but she asked anyways.

"Excuse me, Serpent dance?" She didn't get her answer from the lady, but from Toni, who was throwing her hands up.

"It's an outdated, sexist Serpent tradition. Tried to get it outlawed, but misogyny dies hard." Betty gave her a wide-eyed look for a second, realizing that she must have done this dance before. Toni leaned in, sneering at the thought of it all.

"You don't want to know." That was where she was wrong.

"Uh, yeah, _I do_." She looked toward the stage once more, her eyes gleaming in the neon lights, a metaphorical lightbulb turning on "I wanna know everything."


	5. Approaching Storms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betty's best laid plans for FP's retirement go awry. Tonight was supposed to be about memories and apologies, but turned out to be so much more.

The lights were flooding his eyes as he roamed the room, flitting from one space to another. He had been trying not to give himself the time of day to recall the blonde hair and green eyes that haunted his dreams. He'd been up and about ever since he'd sat down at the bar to talk to Toni, unable to cool his nerves.

"Hey Short Stack." He was sliding his legs onto the bar stool and leaning his elbows on the counter, ignoring the way the rough wood sent pain through his nerves. She shot him a dry look, obviously she hadn't forgiven him for the way he acted the other day. He couldn't blame her.

"So, you wanna tell me what's got you acting so pissy?" She sat a glass on the bar, inspecting it for spots and pointedly avoided eye contact.

"Its nothing, okay? I already said I'm sorry, so just drop it, alright?" She put her hands up in silent surrender, raising her brows the way she did when she didn't want to deal with him.

"So, who's idea was this? Jughead's?" He questioned, eyeing the mics and the karaoke machine.

"Actually, Jughead said this was mostly Betty's idea. She came by earlier today to ask if it was okay to set all this up. She'll be here later with her usual group." Sweet Pea perked up at Betty's name, but did his best to mask his curiosity. He didn't want Toni pushing for answers and pouring more salt in the wound.

"Really? Never would have guessed a Northsider to have so much interest in Serpent business."

"Me either, but she seems pretty serious about getting closer to Jughead." He grit his teeth at that, his jaw flexing noticeably.

"See? There you go again Pea. What did Jughead do?" He was already scooting the stool away from the bar and hopping off of it.

"Its not Jughead." Was all he said. She quirked a brow and her head tilted to the side like a confused puppy.

"So, its Betty?"

He flinched at the accusation, but left her without an audible answer, flagging down Hog Eye at the other end of the bar to order a drink. Lucky for him, another patron grabbed Toni's attention before she could come plowing after him.

Short Stack was onto him, but it wasn't like he'd been doing a whole lot to seem like his usual self. He'd admit he'd been more than a handful lately, but it _hurt_. It hurt to have something seemingly so good dangled right in front of your face only to have it ripped away. It wasn't as if he didn't suffer this his whole life, being a Southsider and all, but it was tougher somehow. So, he kept moving.

He'd played at least three games of pool in the last two hours and this would be his fourth shot of the night. He tried for another, but was quickly cut off when Toni told Hog Eye to stop serving him drinks before he made a fool of himself. He would have. Him and one too many drinks never mixed well.

Time droned on for another half-hour and Sweet Pea kept that time occupied with idle chit chat and agonizing small talk. Eventually, though, he was left with nothing else to say and found an empty spot on the wooden wall to lean against. It was amusing to see that more than a couple of drink stains had already made their mark on it. He crossed his arms over one another and hung his head lazily to the side.

He wondered if she was really coming. She had been here before. Hell, she'd sought it out on her own initiative. So, it wasn't like she would balk at the permanent odor of alcoholic breath in the air or even the dangerous territory outside of the bar. But, would she show up? And if she did, would he be able to stop himself? Would he be able to stop himself from reaching out for her? From kissing her again? He couldn't stop thinking about that damn kiss, even after everything that happened.

The audible slam of the front door to the Whyte Wyrm caused him to look up. In walked Alice Cooper, her hair wild and tousled, her eye makeup dark. She looked like a completely different creature in all that leather under these colorful lights. Behind her, quiet as a mouse, and with a shy smile, was the girl he'd been waiting to lay eyes on. He didn't budge though, didn't move a muscle, only stood there watching her closely. Her hair was down like it had been when he first met her. Her green doe eyes were bright and she wore a simple blue shirt, buttoned down slightly, and a skirt the color of cotton candy.

He watched as she approached Jughead and they greeted each other, pressing his teeth together to stop himself from doing something drastic. Part of him wished he'd saved that brass-knuckle punch he'd given Jughead on his initiation day for now. The other part wished he could close his eyes and pretend none of this was happening. But, his eyes were wide open, even as she spotted him amongst the crowd.

She uttered something to Jughead and then she was making her way over. He could feel his heart pounding furiously in his chest and his whole body was on edge, like he was watching the moment just before a jump-scare in a horror movie. He wanted both to flee and to stay all at once. His frozen muscles chose the latter for him. She gave him a cautious look as if she was afraid he would run again. He should have. He should have been mad at her, should have walked away. But his feet stayed planted there on the dirty floor.

"I was hoping you would be here." For a moment, it was all he could do to keep himself composed as he stood there. His lips fell apart slightly, searching for something to say.

"Its FP's retirement. I wouldn't miss it." He watched as she fumbled over what to do next and he could hear the metaphorical crunch of eggshells under their feet.

"Look, I'm so sorry. And I know you have no reason to forgive me for what I did, but I want to make it up to you... and I finally think I might know how."

"And how's that?" The left corner of her mouth pulled up slightly and she had that look that people did when they had something up their sleeve or when they knew a secret you didn't.

"Its better if I show you. Keep watching, it won't be long now." She turned around and walked away, scanning the crowd for something or someone.  
After that, he wasn't able to wrestle his gaze away from her.

 

\---------

 

Betty stood on the steps leading up to the stage, patiently waiting for Archie and Veronica. She'd set up a gig for the two of them in hopes that it would provide entertainment for everyone. Also in hopes that it would give her the courage to do what she was about to do.

The whole way up here she was forcing back grins when she felt Sweet Pea's eyes following her every move. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't entirely too eager for all of this to happen. Part of it was simply nerves. She'd never done something like this so publicly before, especially not in front of her mom. Most of it was the boy standing across the bar, following her with his eyes like a predator with its prey. If she could do this, she stood a chance of making things right with him and maybe being taken seriously enough to become a Serpent. Or, Serpent adjacent, at the very least.

The two finally wrapped up whatever conversation they were having and made their way on stage. The lights were dim for now, the two of them taking their places and grabbing the mics gently. Betty looked at them expectantly. She hoped to make tonight the calm in the midst of her storm.

As Archie began to sing the first verse of the song, the lights slowly turned on, illuminating them both. The ginger boy closed his eyes as he always did when he sang and the room fell silent, all ears listening intently to the music. Some were even swaying slightly, like charmed snakes, Betty thought.

Veronica sang prettily enough when it was her portion of the song, but her face gave way to a twisted look of sadness. Betty's eyebrows furrowed when she noticed it. What was going on with those two? But before she could speculate, Ronnie was fleeing from the stage and Archie was barreling after her, calling out her name. So much for her calm.

The stage was suddenly abandoned and she heard loud booing from all directions. Betty looked around frantically before she decided there would be no better time than now. She made her way up to the stage and gripped the mic with both hands, beginning to sing where her two friends left off.

" _Children waiting for the day they feel good._ " She took her hands away from the microphone, letting them fall back to the buttons of her shirt and fixated on Sweet Pea, who's back was still firmly pressed to the wall. She watched as his eyes widened faintly and he straightened his posture.

" _Happy Birthday. Happy birthday._ " One by one the buttons came loose and she let her shirt slide down her arms and onto the floor. Now exposed was the black, lacy bodysuit that had hung in her closet not so long ago. She watched Sweet Pea press his tongue to the inside of his cheek and the small smirk that played across his lips. She also noticed the dark look Jughead wore as she drug her eyes over the crowd. She pressed on, doing her best to disregard it.

" _And I feel the way that every child should._ " Her hands fell to her skirt, her fingers undoing the buttons that held it onto her body. She let that fall to the floor as well, her eyes returning to the brown ones that never seemed to leave her.

" _Sit and listen. Sit and listen._ " The bodysuit was fully exposed now and she felt her heart flutter in her chest from all the anxiety. She wouldn't let herself flinch, though. She had to do this.

Running her hands along her body slow and sensual, she tousled her hair the way that girls in movies did. Then she was making her way to the glittering silver poll that stretched all the way to the ceiling. Placing her hand around it firmly, she swung around the pole. In a singular motion she was pressing herself close to it and letting her head fall backwards. When she pulled herself back up she met Sweet Pea's gaze. He stood still with a hungry look, like that of a starving animal.

She made her way around the pole once more, her back facing it, then let her body slide down it slowly. It was cold, a welcome sensation to her warm skin, which was heating up by the second. As the song ended she made her way from the pole back to the mic to sing the last two words.

" _Mad World._ "

Her eyes roamed the crowd once more only to find Jughead with a familiar look. His nostrils were flaring the way they did when he was angry and his brows were low and furrowed, casting a daunting shadow over his eyes. A long silence fell over everyone.

FP's applause boomed through the room, putting an end to the quiet. Everyone else followed suit, putting their hands together for her performance. As FP approached her he was shrugging off his jacket and raising his brow at her.

"Quite a show. Thanks Betty, here you go." She offered her back to him and accepted his jacket, then made her way off stage. She shot Jughead a look of dumbfounded frustration.

"Let's give her a round of applause!" The crowd was an uproar of clapping once again as FP took over the stage.

"And show her some of that Serpent hospitality we're known for!" He called out over the noise. Her mom was taking her in her arms and whispering something, but Betty wasn't listening. She was searching the crowd, but only encountered a multitude of serpent patches sewn onto leather and denim alike.

FP began to give a speech and it started out as an average retirement speech but quickly turned into a re-initiation. None of them had seen it coming. Everyone was sharing muddled glances. Some looked ecstatic to have their leader reinstated once again. Her mom began tugging on her shoulder. Betty began to fret watching her best laid plans fall apart like a crumbling cake.

"Alright Coyote Ugly, let's go."

"No, I'm staying." She wasn't going to leave before she got to see Sweet Pea, before she could see if all of this had worked.

"Elizabeth, you're coming with me now." She shook her head at her mother, shooting her a defiant look.

" _No._ I'm staying." Her mother's eyes shifted from Betty to the stage.

"Well, I can't." And with that, Alice was heading towards the door, her heels clicking along the way. After FP's speech was over and the partying died down, she waited for Jughead in the parking lot of the Whyte Wyrm. She waited for the storm to come to her.

 

\---------

 

Sweet Pea slipped out the door not too long after he saw Betty do the same. He needed to see her, to thank her. But, he was stopped in his tracks when he saw her and Jughead in what looked like a heated argument. He decided it was best to hang back in the shadows, leaning against the brick wall and observing from afar.

"What's wrong? Was it the dance?" She asked, her eyes wandering Jughead's face.

"It's everything." Spoken like a true angsty teen, Sweet Pea thought.

"And, yeah... Why would you do that?" She purposefully looked anywhere but Jughead, lingering a moment on Sweet Pea in the gloom of the parking lot. His breath hitched and he was sure she had spotted him, but If she did, she didn't mention it.

"I wanted to be a part of this. The Serpents, your world."

"Why?" Jughead questioned, the exasperation apparent in his tone.

"Archie knew to cut bait. Now I'm dragging you down. I'm dragging my dad down."

"Jug, he's still figuring it out." ,Betty tried, "And its gonna be okay. We'll figure out what we have to do, together." Jughead shook his head at her.

"No. Betty. Mmm-mmm. Not together." He put a hand against her shoulder, holding her away from him. Jughead was something else. Here she was, throwing herself at him just to be his friend and he was pushing her away. Betty gave him a look full of rage, and in that moment Sweet Pea felt connected to her, as he had so many other times before. He'd worn that same expression like a tailored suit his whole life. And then she said something that shocked them all.

"I didn't do it for you, you know." Jughead's hand fell away from her shoulder and he was suddenly squinting in confusion.

"What?"

"I didn't do any of this for _you_."

"Then who?" Sweet Pea pushed away from the wall then, taking a few steps forward, making sure they were as noisy as they could be. The lamp-light illuminated his face and both of them turned to look at him. Jughead simply gave him an aggravated look at being intruded upon. Sweet Pea ignored him, knowing that it hadn't sunk in for him yet.

"Go ahead, Betty. Tell him." He encouraged her with a nod. Jughead tore his stare away from Sweet Pea to look at her, his appalled expression deepening. Just then, Betty stood a little straighter, a sort of fearless quality in the way she was holding herself.

"I did it for Sweet Pea." She said, letting go of the breath she'd been holding. Jughead looked bewildered at them both, connecting the puzzle in his mind before he spoke.

"So, you and Sweet Pea...?"

"Yeah, Jughead. He was there when you weren't. I did this for him. And... for myself." Jughead was backing away from them both now, no doubt trying to process all of this. Betty stepped forward, but thought better of herself and let him go. He was still shaking his head as he turned to re-enter the bar he just left, leaving her and Sweet Pea alone in the parking lot.

 

\---------

 

Sweet Pea stood silently for a moment, watching as Betty's eyes welled up with tears until he couldn't stand it any longer. He was reaching out for her, his arms wrapping around her tightly and pulling her against him. She buried her face in his chest and let out quiet sobs that were muffled by his clothing. They stood like that for a while until Betty pulled away, looking up at him with red-rimmed eyes.

"I'm so sorry for what I did to you." Her hands still clung to the fabric of his shirt as her lip quivered from her sobs.

"Its alright." Her eyes fell to the ground and she rubbed her hands together.

"No. Its not. I just-"

"Hey, look at me." He placed two fingers on her chin, lifting her face up to meet his.

"I believe you when you say nothing happened that night."

"You do?"

"Yes. Because if you really still wanted to be with him you wouldn't have done all you did tonight. You're a go-getter, Betty cooper, and tonight you came for me."

"And _who_ gets mad at a girl after she gives them a show like _that_?! He's nuts, Betty." He shook his head for emphasis. She let out a breathy chuckle at that and slid her arms around him, pulling her self flush against him.

He cupped her cheeks with his hands, pulling her in for a deep kiss. Then another, and another, until they were both breathless and smiling from ear to ear. Things were going to be rough for a while and he found himself wondering how the town of Riverdale would react to what was happening between the two of them. But then, he thought, he didn't really care.

They stayed there amongst the emptiness of the parking lot, talking a while about anything and everything. It began to get late though, and no matter how much both of them wanted to remain here just like this, they had to go home.

When the two of them stopped in front of his bike, he offered her his jacket once again. Without hesitation this time, she took it, slinging it around her shoulders and grinning all the while. He held back a chuckle at the way the jacket swallowed her small frame.

They drove home, her arms locked around his waist and the soothing sound of the wind whistling past them. When they arrived she turned around, shrugging the jacket off and handing it back to him. He rose a hand in protest.

"No. You keep it for now."

"Are you sure? My mom might kill me if she finds this." He snorted lightly.

"If she didn't kill you tonight, I don't think she's going to." Betty rolled her eyes at the thought of her earlier performance.

"You've got a point." He shot her a wink and drug his eyes up and down her body.

"You did great on that stage." A flush of red crept up her cheeks and she smiled timidly.

"Thanks, Sweet Pea." She shrugged the jacket back on and pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek and turned for her house. He watched her as she walked and sighed to himself. He knew things were going to be vastly different for them come morning, but somehow, he couldn't bring himself to give a shit. He drove home, a smirk plastered on his face all the way there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a lot of fun to write and I hope you all enjoy it! Let me know what kind of interactions you would like to see among the characters in the next chapter! :) (Feedback is welcome and greatly appreciated.)


	6. Change of Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betty is confronted with a nasty surprise at school. The way she chooses to deal with it helps open a few eyes to the reality the Serpents face and opinions are beginning to change.

An ominous feeling of dread hung heavy within the halls of Riverdale High this morning. The familiar sting of scrutinizing glances brought back memories of his first day here. He passed several faces he was sure he'd seen before, but in the bloom of his frustration they became muddied and blurred. Their whispers only seemed to grow bolder as he went. " _Can you believe it?_ " they mumbled lowly. 

" _Riverdale's very own Romeo and Juliet._ "

" _Do you think they're story will end in tragedy too?_ "

_No_ , he thought, _but your's might_.

He was forced to still his hands as they balled in to fists. He'd only prove them right if he lashed out here for all to see. Snickers and other quiet sounds of amusement filled the hallway, but were soon overcome by the sound of his own blood pumping in his ears. He blinked his eyes in a futile attempt to regain his focus. 

_He had to find Betty._

As a Serpent, he was used to bearing the brunt of slights and slander. Nobody respected snakes in this side of town. This morning, however, could only mean that Betty was facing them too. He navigated the halls as swiftly as he could manage without drawing too much unwanted attention until he made it to her locker. 

He found her there, backing away from her locker, her mouth agape. On it were many white pieces of printer paper carelessly taped together. In crude black ink were the words "Serpent Slut". The message was so large that the ends carried over to the two lockers on either side of Betty's. Surrounding her was a crowd of other teenagers. Some were laughing, others were making cruel jokes; some were silently watching, waiting for something to happen.

He made his way down the hall and through the crowd, shoving people aside with firm hands. They all gave him cursory glances and he attempted to commit them to memory. Someone did this, and they were going to royally pay when he figured out who. 

As soon as he made his way through, his fingers were curling around the papers and ripping them away. When he was through, all that was left were bits and pieces that still clung to the tape that refused to budge.

Then he was turning to Betty, rushing towards her and taking her hand in his own. He acted as a shield as he shouldered their way through the other side of the swarm. His height made it laughably easy to part the river of people in front of them. One by one they moved, reluctantly stepping aside. They were no doubt disappointed that today's witch hunt hadn't ended in violence and blood.

Once they were free, he flung open the nearest door and led her outside. Not a moment passed before his arms were around her, pulling her so close that her cheek was squished against his chest. He could feel her quaking with each sob as she gripped the fabric of his shirt. Sweet Pea did not let her go until she had stopped crying. 

She stepped back, sitting on one of the steps they'd climbed down to get here. Her eyes were red and her makeup was running down the sides of her cheeks. He stood, silent, trying to come up with ways he'd catch the person who did this. But the truth was, he was no super sleuth. That title belonged to Betty. He'd most likely end up on a hunt of his own, targeting every sleazy northsider until he found the right one.   
He found himself rubbing his pockets in search of his switchblade, only to find it wasn't there. Right, he thought, I figured I wouldn't need it here. Though if he were completely honest, Toni's suggestion not to bring it had been the only reason he didn't. He felt safer with it digging into his thigh whenever he sat down. A little bit of protection never hurt anyone, unless you were on the other side of the blade. But the only thing he was wanting to protect now was the girl sitting in front of him.

"Earth to Sweet Pea." 

"Huh?" He was snapped from his trance-like state and was now standing there, looking foolish with his mouth slightly open.

"We gotta go to class." He was already shaking his head. The last thing he wanted was for her to have to endure more of that.

"We don't have to Betty. We can skip...let this bullshit blow over." He bent down, taking her hands into his own. She squeezed his fingers lightly in response.

"We can leave. I bet the quarry is free." A pained look crossed her face.

"I'd love to, I really would. But I'm not going to hide. Those people are jerks, Sweet Pea, who would like nothing more than to see us run away with our tails between our legs." He allowed a rebellious smirk to cross his face and stood at once.

"You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?" She studied his face for a moment, then broke out in a grin that matched his own. She began to nod.

"I think so."

 

\---------

 

Together this time, she and Sweet Pea thrust open the front doors to Riverdale High. Sweet Pea had dug through his backpack for the denim vest that was now draped over her shoulders. The vest bore a Serpent about to strike, a near perfect representation of how she felt just now. Principal Weatherbee had outlawed Serpent jackets, sure, but never Serpent vests. 

The sight of it alone drew gasps and mutterings from all around them. A satisfied smile pulled at the edges of her mouth. Sweet Pea slung an arm around her shoulder casually as they walked. Sure, the denim vest and her pastel pink sweater didn't necessarily go together. That was the point. She'd wear them together anyways, just as she would continue to see Sweet Pea, no matter what they thought of it. 

She could have run this morning. If she had willed it, Sweet Pea would have taken her away from all of this. She didn't doubt that. They could be at the quarry, reclining on dirty sofas and relaxing in one another's arms. Betty had realized something, however. Ever since the day she'd stumbled upon the Southside by accident, she had stopped running, and she was determined that today would be no different. 

So they strode through the hallway, both holding their heads high as they made their way to the heart of it all. The student lounge. There they took a seat next to one another on a dull red sofa, awaiting the backlash. Sweet Pea snaked an arm around her, resting it on the back of the couch. Heads turned and eyes followed them, like they were a walking museum. 

A tsking noise from behind them caught them both by surprise.

"Betty... and here I was thinking you'd gotten your fill of snake venom." It was a familiar voice and when she turned to see who it was she was met with the blue and golden yellow of a bulldog letterman. Reggie's hair was especially well-kept today and he had a smug grin on his pouty lips. Sweet Pea rose from where he sat at the sight of Reggie, looking ready to attack.

"I see _you_ haven't gotten your fill of _fleas_." Sweetpea spat. His hands were already curled into fists. Reggie ignored the slight in favor of moving towards Betty.

"Be reasonable, Betty. You're no Serpent." ,his eyebrows raised in feigned concern, "Take the vest off."

"No." She stood a little straighter, standing her ground. Reggie's lip twitched in irritation.

"Take. It. _Off_. Or your new pet snake gets more than a black eye."

"I'd like to see you try, you mangy asshole." 

Sweet Pea's nostrils were flaring now and he was making his way around the sofa. At this rate, the three of them would end up in Weatherbee's office and she knew Sweet Pea would take the brunt of the blame. She placed herself in between the two of them and faced Reggie head on.

"You know what? I'm tired of people trampling all over the Southside. I am a Serpent, Reggie, whether any of you like it or not." She addressed everyone in the room, shooting them all an accusing look. 

"You don't see Serpents going around ordering Bulldogs to take off their lettermans. Face it Reggie, you're just a glorified bully." 

A couple of low chuckles could be heard in the corners of the room and Reggie's face contorted into a look of rage and disgust. _This must be how every Southsider feels._ The thought made her angry. Reggie had no room to talk. As of late, the Bulldogs of Riverdale High had seemed just as much of a gang as the Serpents. 

"Serpents take the blame for everything, even if they didn't do it." The Bulldog captain's face was growing redder by the second, but he remained silent as Betty continued.

"Who brought a weapon to that stupid fight between you and the Serpents? A Northsider. Who shot the gun at that fight? A _Northsider_. And Reggie, it was you yourself who spray-painted the floors with a Serpent logo so they would get in trouble." 

Gasps filled the room and all at once people began to whisper. Reggie looked around, watching as many of his peers began to lose respect for him. Suddenly Betty was aware of a hand on her shoulder. She guessed Sweet Pea must have placed it there while she was busy giving the Bulldog a piece of her mind. With wounded pride Reggie gathered his bag from where it sat on the floor and fled from the student lounge. 

Later that day, Reggie seemed to have swallowed his pride, as he approached her and apologized. He admitted to teaming up with a couple of other Bulldogs to tape the message to her locker. To make up for it, he offered her a free shake from Pop's. "On him" he had said. She politely declined, only requesting that he apologize to Sweet Pea and the other Serpents as well. 

"They're no different from you or me, Reggie. They're a little rougher, sure. But it never hurts to have the tough guys on your side, does it?" Reggie let out a short, resistant sigh. 

"No. I don't guess it does." he paused, eyeing the vest that still clung to her, "For what its worth, the vest doesn't look half-bad on you Cooper." 

"Thanks, Reggie." ,she offered him a small smile, "We better get to class before we're late."

And with that they were both going their separate ways. Betty felt a little lighter now, almost as if she might float down the hallway instead of walk. It made her feel good to know that peace between the two sides of Riverdale might not be such a far-fetched idea after all.

 

\---------

 

Betty's friends had mixed reactions to him and her being an item now. Some of them dubbed him a "worse choice" because he was "more dangerous" than Jughead. _Whatever_ , he thought, _at least you don't have to guess what I'm going to do next_. Others, _okay_ , mostly just Kevin, had been elated about it. It made sense though, seeing as Kevin and Joaquin had a thing going before Joaquin had been sent to jail. Veronica and Andrews had seemed happy enough, but he could see the uncertainty in their eyes. 

All of them, though, seemed to agree that his new routine of sitting with them at lunch was unwelcome. For the last two days Sweet Pea would sit down, Betty would greet him cheerily, as she always did, and the others would find some excuse or reason to leave. The only one left would be Kevin, and eventually even he got uncomfortable being their third wheel.

He guessed it was the way others in the cafeteria eyed them whenever he joined them. Or maybe it was just the way they felt about him. 

Despite the upgrade in social status after Betty's speech in the student lounge, people were still apprehensive about coexisting with snakes. The norm for most Serpents was to gather at one table all together, just as they did at Southside High. Sweet Pea would have gladly joined them, if he thought he could keep from scrapping with Jughead again.

The last time he sat at his own table he and Jughead exchanged some less than polite words and they both nearly ended up in detention for it. So Sweet Pea had resolved to sitting elsewhere during lunch. Until now. 

He made his way into the cafeteria, kissing Betty on the forehead and watching her bound towards her friends. He smiled as she went, knowing that she was going to enjoy getting to visit with them. His feet tapped lightly on the tile of the cafeteria as he walked to the Serpent's table. They'd never know it, but he was glad to see their faces. When he sat, Toni and Fangs perked up.

"Hey. You finally get tired of brown-nosing?" Fang's mouth pulled into a smirk as he crossed his arms. Sweet Pea laughed.

"If I were brown-nosing they wouldn't scatter before the lunch period is over."

"Yeah, I noticed that. Don't take it personal." Toni droned, lost in her homework, which was splayed over the table in front of her. She was probably hoping someone would spill their drink on it. 

"Oh, trust me, I _don't_."

A familiar figure slid into the spot in front of him at the table. He had bags under his eyes and a laptop tucked underneath his arm. The pointed folds of his beanie seemed to be drooping, looking just as exhausted as Jughead did. Jughead gave him a lingering look, opening his mouth to say something, then closing it once again.

"What is it, Jones?" Sweet Pea prepared himself for some witty remark or insult. 

"Thank you." His eyes went a little wide at that and his mouth fell open in shock.

"Come again?"

"I said thank you." ,Jughead's eyes were everywhere but him and he could tell the kind words didn't come easy to him, "For being there for Betty. I heard about what they did to her locker." 

"Don't thank me. You would have done the same in my place, I hope." Jughead ignored that for the most part, only wincing when he'd said "in my place".

"Look, we may not get along, but one thing I can say is that I've never had to question your loyalty." He really wish he had recorded all of this. It wasn't likely he'd hear these words coming out of Jughead's mouth ever again.

"Keep her safe, and preferably out of any bad ideas you have." ,Jughead chortled, "No planting pipe bombs or getting into gang fights with Betty, alright?"

"You got it." He had to laugh at that. He tried to imagine Betty in a gang fight, but it just didn't seem right. Not that he didn't think she could handle herself, mind you.

Sweet Pea would probably never understand what caused the other boy to have his sudden change of heart, but he'd take his victories where he could get them. The lunch period seemed to fly by after that. The lot of them told stories, laughed, and ate in intervals. Soon enough the bell was ringing. 

On his way out Betty caught up with him and he insisted on walking her to class. So what if they were going to the same classroom, it still counted, right? As they were exiting, they were stopped by Jughead who offered them both a sad but genuine smile. 

"I'm happy for you guys. I never thought I'd see such a _domestic_ side of you, Sweet Pea." He rolled his eyes at that.

"Seriously though, I think its a good look... for the both of you." A silence fell over the three of them.

"Anyways, I better get going. See ya' around." They lingered in the doorway, sharing equally baffled looks. 

"That was... _weird_." Betty said.

"That's an understatement." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the longer wait on this one! Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy!


	7. No Serpent Left Behind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betty's life is going swell. Until it isn't. Her routines are smashed to bits when she finds that something, no, someone is missing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is short and is a prelude to a much more in depth and complex scenario. I haven't written in a while, and I apologize for that. But, when I came back to it I felt that this story needed a dramatic turn. A dark turn to really bring out some aspects of the characters that are more challenging to write. I hope you enjoy it! The next chapter will be an exciting one for sure.

A quiet peace seemed to settle over Betty's life. She had Sweet Pea. He and Jughead no longer argued and she swore sometimes that they might even be _friends_. She was no longer ostracized from the people she held so dear. The Blue and Gold was up and running again and she was spending more time than ever writing, editing, and interviewing as many people as she could get her hands on. Even Chic seemed to be tamed by the blissful mundane days that had been passing one by one.

Everything was good.

Until it wasn't.

Her morning ritual had become just that, a ritual. She had it down to a T, so much so that she probably could have done it with her eyes closed. In fact, she knew she could. She'd done it before.

Everyday she would eat breakfast with what remained of her family. Chic would insist on pancakes for himself. But for her it was always toast, sweet strawberry jam, eggs, and coffee to boot. The coffee was the important part. It woke her out of her morning haze and she would soon realize she had places to be. Things to do.

She would scale the staircase, put on fresh clothes, brush her hair, and put it up into her signature ponytail. She always checked the mirror before she left. And yeah, maybe she lingered too long some mornings, but she'd never tell.

Then came the good part.

The part where she'd open the door and take three steps out to see a black bike down the road (Safely out of her mother's view.) with Sweet Pea on it. The rumble of the engine served to wake her further and she was grateful for that. Her first period involved math, and if she wanted to maintain her grades, she had to be awake.

She couldn't count the mornings she'd spent with her arms wrapped lazily around his waist, watching her town fly past her. Once he'd even let her, or more like talked her into, driving his bike. Needless to say it hadn't ended well and he never bothered her about it again. They laughed about it a lot.

This morning, however, her street was quiet. Eerily so. She did her best to shrug off the nagging sensation in the back of her mind. _He's just late. It happens._

Except it didn't. Not with him. He was here every morning. Every time. On time.

She pushed the thoughts away and waited. First five minutes. Then ten. Then twenty. _Damn it Pea, where are you?_

She retrieves her phone and leans back against the wall, her feet dragging along with her, ready to dial his number when she notices it. Her foot slides into something with a soft pat. She looks down, a package. It's not unusual. Her mom ordered plenty of her suits and other attire online. Its entirely ordinary. That is, until she picks it up and sees the address and she's suddenly haunted by skulls and spikes and leather. Until her mind is filled with frantic, feverish images resembling an old Mad Max film.

Until she realizes that its a message.

Its one that has haunted her dreams since she and Sweet Pea got involved. Since the day she'd waltzed right into the building address that was plastered over the cardboard box she held in her hands. The thing about dating a Serpent was that they were always elbow deep in at least some mild form of danger. And here it was, at her door.

She was knocked breathless, staring at the wall in front of her, begging it for answers it didn't have.

_Where is he? What are they doing to him? Why him?_

It was no use, though. She was spitting in the wind asking questions like that. She looked back to the box. Underneath the label was a crudely drawn Ghoulie skull.

She'd heard so many awful tales of the other gang on the wrong side of the tracks. Sweet Pea had ranted about them a few times. He always said they were the reason the Southside garnered its poor reputation. That assholes like that _wanted_ that reputation, _craved it_ for some sick reason. She'd laughed when he called them edgelords.

She wasn't laughing now. But it seemed that the doodle was. Skulls were always smiling and laughing. She guessed they had nothing left to lose. Not like she did. She had everything to lose.

Betty could almost feel it all slipping out of her grasp.

She tore open the box, gritting her teeth and willing the tears away. She had to see this. This message. Whatever it may be. The box contained no packing peanuts, and thankfully, no body parts. Her life seemed so similar to a horror movie she didn't know what to expect anymore.

Resting on the bottom of the box was one of Sweet Pea's rings, glinting prettily in the morning light. She choked back a sob at the sight of it and hoped that his ring was all they took, although some part of her knew that was wishful thinking.

Below it was a white envelope. She picked the ring out, gently, cradling it between her fingers like she was afraid she might lose it. Because she was afraid she might lose it. Afraid she might lose him.

She shoved the ring over each finger, finding that it only fit her thumb. So that's where it stayed. Where she could see it. Where she could look at it and hope to God that he was still okay. That she could still save him.

The letter inside the envelope was short, sweet, and to the point. There were no blood spatters at the corners, only a bit of grime and dirt from whoever wrote it. She had a pretty good guess who.

Suddenly she was thankful for the race the Serpents and the Ghoulies had. It had ended up in a large amount of Ghoulie arrests, including that of their leader. A curly haired, wild eyed boy named Malachai. He was one of those that you only had to glance at to know he was trouble, more than trouble. Dangerous.

Not only had he become the leader of one of Southside's most notorious gangs, he was also the head of the drug operations infesting Riverdale. She'd seen it the day she and Veronica had traced the source of the Jingle Jangle. When they pushed her past the doors with the ominous, foreboding skulls. It was everywhere. Equipment designed for producing highly addictive Jingle Jangle, amongst other things. She remembered the smell it left in the air. Like the air its self was closing its thick hands around their throats.

Malachai had smiled that day, despite everything. That's how she knew he was dangerous. He had everything in the world to be angry about, but he smiled. Laughed even. He did it because he was _proud_. Proud of his empire. Proud of the drugs. Proud to ruin lives for his own benefit. And now he was proud to have taken Sweet Pea.

She had to wonder why though. Why not send this message to the Serpents. Hell, maybe they had.

The letter read _"Riverdale is going to pay for what it's done to us. Your boy is the first of many."_

Below that was an address. It was a familiar one, daring her to come find him. She knew it was a trap. That if she went alone, they'd likely have her tied up with him, doing God knows what to the both of them. So she called Jughead, and then FP.

Serpents were nothing if not loyal to their own. They'd come. _They had to_.

It was only after she hung up the phone that she allowed herself to cry. She sunk down, pulled her knees into herself, and sobbed, the tears only subsiding when she heard the chorus of many engines roaring down her street.

The sight of them was like watching a band of angels arrive at her doorstep and she couldn't have been more thankful. Of course, her mother came outside, a sour look on her face. And when her eyes found FP, her expression was that of curdled milk. Some not so nice words were exchanged. She wrenched the letter from Betty's fingers and read over it.

At first her mom attacked Jughead.

"Mrs. Cooper, how could the letter possibly be talking about me. If it were, I wouldn't be here." He looked to betty, eyes pleading for help. But all she could offer was a shrug and a look that said _"What do you expect me to do?"_.

Her mother turned to her.

"Well who is it then?"

"Its one of our other young men. Sweet Pea. Good kid." If their were ever an award for being a saint, FP would have it already. _A golden snake with wings and a halo_ , she thought.

"Oh please, FP. The only thing close to a good kid you Serpents have is your son. And Betty, we're going to talk about this. _Now_."

"I can't. He's out there mom. The _Ghoulies_ have him."

"Which is exactly why you're going to stay home and let the Serpents handle this on their own."

"Your mother is right Betty, we've got this covered." FP offered her a reassuring look. She couldn't take it. She wouldn't.

" _NO_." Betty yelled. She could already feel her palms curling into fists.

"I'm coming with you. I am a Serpent. Sweet Pea is my family too."

 _More than just my family. The highlight of my days, my nights, and everything in between._ She wouldn't stand idly by. He would do the same for her.

And then she was running. She'd have time to explain everything to her mother later. She'd take the brunt of any argument after they found him. She'd suffer a grounding, a scolding, the full wrath of Alice Cooper later. Now was _not_ the time. She hopped onto the back of FP's bike, ignoring his and Jughead's pleas to just stay home. She also noted the apologetic smile he offered her mother and the way her mother stuck up her nose in return.

They all knew the severity of the situation and that they couldn't linger long. There was no time for any of this and before anyone could protest further, they were speeding off in the direction of a certain rundown warehouse on the Southside of town.

"Thank you." She whispered as she sat behind FP. A short silence followed before he answered.

"No. Thank you."

If she didn't realize it before, she did now. This was her family. And she was proud to count herself among them. They were going to get Sweet Pea back, and the Ghoulie's were going to be sorry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed and that you can forgive me for leaving it there!


	8. A Certain Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A wild goose chase ensues as Betty and the other Serpents search for a Missing Sweet Pea. Betty faces a certain darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, first of all, I have to apologize for not updating this sooner. I left this at a cliffhanger and I'm upset with myself for it. However, I did come back to this with fresh eyes and that made this chapter a lot more interesting than it would have been otherwise. I really hope you all enjoy it. xoxo

No one said a word as they approached the large metal doors of the shady warehouse. A large skull was painted in white over the entrance, laughing at them all. For what, they did not know yet. Everyone's eyes were peeled, searching for any sign of an ambush. They all held their breath, certain that Ghoulies would soon come out with brandished blades. But all they saw were the doors and all they heard was the rustling of the wind.

FP soon motioned to follow him around to the back of the warehouse. That was where they found two Ghoulies, downing the remnants of their jingle jangle. When they noticed the army of serpents standing in front of them they took a defensive stance. Their eyes were bloodshot and their hands were shaking like leaves in a storm.

"What do you assholes want? Haven't you done enough? Half of us are in jail because of that race you rigged."

"Give us our boy back and we won't take the rest of you out." FP was moving towards them now, stopping just two feet from them.

"Are you high? We don't have any of your people. If we did, they'd be six feet under."  
FP closed the distance between them then, grabbing them both by the collar of their shirts and jerking them around roughly. Jughead joined him, the sharp sound of a blade releasing as he placed it against one of their throats. She could see his eyes widen with a hint of fear.

"Don't play dumb with me boy. _WHERE_ is sweet pea!?" FP was shoving the boy back against the wall, knocking the breath out of him. The boy held his hands up in surrender, dropping the empty stick of jingle jangle.

"We don't have him you crazy bastard! I swear!"

"Then who left this at my doorstep?"

Betty stepped forward, practically shoving the letter and cardboard box in his face. The Ghoulie studied it, a confused expression taking over his face. He then looked at the address and his expression twisted even further.

"What the hell?" ,he said, "I don't know. Why would we care that this Northside slut is fucking some serpent scum?" FP slammed him back once more and the thud of his head against the concrete wall made Betty nauseous.

"Watch your mouth!"

"Look, man, I don't know who sent you that. But it wasn't us! You can check for yourselves." The ghoulie pointed behind him, at the back door of the warehouse. Crudely drawn skeletons and skulls decorated the door. All smiling.

Fp shoved the boy aside with one quick movement as Jughead coerced the other to back away with the blade in his hands. The serpents proceeded to scour the warehouse which seemed so empty now. The police really had done a number on them. Betty followed behind them the whole way. She listened for any small noise and searched for the curl of Sweet Pea's hair in every dark corner.

Nothing.

_Nothing!_

She felt she was going out of her mind. She began to absently tug at her ponytail, anything to keep her from screaming, from giving up hope. If the ghoulies didn't have him, who did? It frightened her to think about. She was so wrapped up in her own despair that she didn't hear FP call for a search party.

"Betty, you can come with us."

"O-Okay."

A hand gripped her shoulder lightly and she turned to see Toni and Fangs looking at her with the same strange mixture of horror and fury that she was sure was in her eyes too.

"We're gonna find him Betty. And when we do, whoever has him is going to pay for it." She only nodded in response. Deep down Betty had an inclination towards revenge of the violent sort. It was comforting to see others with the same touch of human nature as herself.

So that night Jughead, FP, Toni, Fangs, and her began to cover Fox Forest, flashlights in hand and knives readied. None of them knew what to expect and that left them on the very edge of their metaphorical seats. There was a chill in the night, the kind that settled in the core of your bones. All they could hear was the natural crunch of leaves and sticks underfoot and the sound of his name as they called it out.

She took small comfort in the over sized vest that she'd shrugged on when they went to get flashlights and other equipment. It still smelled like him. She wondered silently if it really made her feel better. She tried not to think about the fact that it might be the last time she ever smelled him.

The further she drifted in her own thoughts, the further she drifted into fox forest, his name still on her lips. Toni Topaz trudged alongside her, the pink dye in her hair became a muddy shade in the moonlight. The boys weren't far away, but they all agreed that the more ground they could cover, the better. They weren't able to see them, but they could still hear them, calling out.

"Did he give you that?" Toni looked at the vest, at its tattered edges, the way it reeked of him. She looked sad.

"He did."

"You know, the only time I've seen him this invested in someone, was when he was protecting the serpents." Betty met her eyes then, the faint shine of tears threatening to overflow the banks of her eyelids.

"We're going to find him. And when we do, don't you ever let him go Betty Cooper."

"I won't" ,she said, "That's a promise." Toni smiled, turned her face towards the bleak blackness of the night and began shouting for her friend once more. Betty's voice followed.

They looked for what seemed like an entire night, their throats hoarse from all the yelling. The chill in their bodies had left their teeth chattering. The two girls were just about to head back with the others when a figure stepped out from behind a particularly large tree. Betty knew it well. Broad shoulders, dark clothing, and an unmistakable hood with the eyes cut out.

She became lightheaded at the sight and Toni was pulling her backwards and stepping in front of her as if to shield her. Betty could hear her blood pumping in her ears and feel her heart beating at her ribcage. The Black Hood reached behind the tree, and with a forcefulness brought forth the one person they'd been searching for all night. Sweet pea struggled against his grip and made muffled noises behind the tape over his mouth. His arms were bound behind his back with a knotted rope. His hair was a mess and it looked as if he'd been drug through the mud. He had a black eye and several scrapes over his brow and his cheeks.

The man behind the mask started speaking.

"I am disappointed Betty. You deserve so much better than this." Taking his foot, he shoved Sweet Pea forward, straight into the dirt and leaves that covered the ground. Pea grunted and made a futile attempt to push himself back up.

"You're right.",she began, "I don't deserve to be on a wild goose chase, wondering if the one person who makes me the happiest is okay. I don't deserve to be tormented by the likes of _you_. So hand him over."  
She flipped open her switchblade and began walking towards The Black Hood. In turn, the man behind the mask pulled a gun from the holster at his side and pointed it straight at Sweet Pea's head. She stopped.

" _Ah_ , you are my daughter after all."

Betty looked in the mans eyes then, a faint green hue was visible, even here in the night. Her mind began reeling. Could it be? No, no, she was imagining things. But then she looked at the mans stature, the way he stood. His boots were oddly familiar. They reminded her of the nice pair her mom had bought her father last Christmas. No. No. NO.

"If you want him back you're going to have to admit it, Betty."

"Admit what, you asshole, she's done nothing wrong!" Toni roared.

"You stay out of this. This is family business."

"What is he talking about Betty?" She didn't bother answering Toni. There was no time for that now.

"Admit what, _**Hal**_?" She remembered all of her parent's fights, the way her mother would use his first name to demean him. She remembered how much he hated it.

"Admit that you too have the darkness. You and me are the same Betty. We both want the same things."

"Death? You may be right. But the only death I want to see is yours."

" **ADMIT IT!** " The man began to scream.

"Go fuck yourself!"

Hal moved around Sweet Pea and was barreling towards her. The gun in his hand fell to the forest floor with a soft pat. She could hear muffled protests from Sweet Pea. Her ears were ringing and everything in her body told her to flee, but she stood her ground. Hal was grabbing her arms, jerking her around now and she found herself fighting back, clawing at his eyes. All the while he was screaming at her to admit it, admit it, admit it! He knocked her blade from her hands.

Toni was on top of him then, wrapping her arms around his throat but he thrashed so violently it sent her to the ground. Betty and her father continued to wrestle, she slashed at his face and his throat, holding him close so he couldn't get a good hit in.

In all of the madness neither of them noticed that Toni had picked up the knife and freed a raging serpent. Sweet pea swept the gun up from the forest floor and held it in his hands. He steadied his aim, waiting for the moment. For the moment he was sure the bullet wouldn't hit Betty.

A gunshot rang, their ears rang, and the forest fell silent. It was like a held breath for the man who's grip loosened around Betty. A silent mourning for Hal Cooper who laid on the floor of Fox Forest, among the dirt, where he belonged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading my work and leaving such lovely comments on it! Let me know how you liked this installment.


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